1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and disposable pants.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in the field of sanitary materials using disposable absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, disposable pants and sanitary napkins, demand for development of thin, comfortable absorbent articles for individuals who suffer from light to medium incontinence rises. As a disposable absorbent article for the light to medium incontinence, a pants-type absorbent article thinner and comfortable to wear without hampering a walking operation of a wearer is often desired.
A conventionally available absorbent article includes an absorbent between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable back sheet. As this absorbent, an absorbent mat obtained by forming fibrillated pulp fibers, absorbent resin powder, thermoplastic fiber or the like into a mat, and fixedly wrapping up the mat in thin paper or the like has been used.
In order to improve comfort to wear while maintaining an absorbing performance of the absorbent article that includes the absorbent mat, there is proposed a method for making the absorbent mat thinner by reducing the amount of the fibrillated pulp fibers that constitutes the absorbent mat and increasing the amount of the absorbent resin powder.
However, if the amount of the absorbent resin powder in the absorbent mat is increased so as to improve the absorbing performance, the swelling absorbent resin powder which has absorbed excretions such as urine often causes the absorbent mat to get out of shape.
As a very thin absorbent article that does not get out of shape after absorbing water, a water-absorbent multilayer member for a disposable product that does not contain pulp fiber other tha nonwoven fabrics and configured so that water-absorbent resin powder is held between two nonwoven fabrics by web-like hot melt adhesive has been proposed (W00189439).
According to this conventional technique, since the water-absorbent resin powder is fixedly retained by the web-like hot melt adhesive, the multilayer member does not get out of shape. In addition, the multilayer member does not contain the pulp fiber. Therefore, the very thin absorbent article comfortable for a wearer is provided. However, the component of the water-absorbent multilayer member that primarily exhibits the absorbing performance is the water-absorbent resin powder. Therefore, as compared with the conventional absorbent mat the absorbent of which mainly consists of the pulp fiber, the water-absorbent multilayer member is sometimes inferior in water absorption speed.
Further, even if many water-absorbent multilayer members are employed to secure a sufficient amount of water absorption, excrements cannot be smoothly introduced to the lower water-absorbent multilayer member. As a result, there is a probability that the water-absorbent resin cannot sufficiently exhibit its water absorption ability.
The present invention has been achieved in view of these circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article including an absorbent mat that hardly gets out of shape even if absorbing a body fluid, that has a high water absorption speed, and that make a wearer who wears the article feel comfortable.